Olympic win for Anglia Ruskin research partnership

Press release issued: 11 June 2012



The London 2012 equestrian venue in Greenwich

The London 2012 equestrian venue in Greenwich

As part of an academic research partnership, Anglia Ruskin University has been awarded a medal at The Podium Awards for its involvement with the development and testing of equine surfaces for London 2012.

The RACES (Research and Consultancy in Equine Surfaces) research partnership is a collaboration between Anglia Ruskin, Myerscough College and the University of Central Lancashire. The group was set up in 2010 following the continued success of joint research projects involving the three institutions.

The Podium Awards is a one-off celebration recognising the contribution universities and FE colleges have made towards the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympic Games.

The RACES team research work was undertaken in conjunction with Andrews Bowen Ltd, a global specialist in developing and engineering equine surfaces for major events and equestrian centres worldwide, including the Horse of The Year Show, British Showjumping Scope Festival and the Aintree International Equestrian Centre.

The RACES team test the surface using their biomechanical hoof

The RACES team test the surface using their biomechanical hoof

The award - an RCUK Award for Exceptional Research Contribution - marks the culmination of a two year project which saw the RACES partnership team develop tests and assess the footing of surfaces for the showcase equestrian venue at the 2012 London games.

Extensive testing is required for the London 2012 venue due to its unique elevated platform design - a first in the history of the Olympics.

This involved building a biomechanical hoof tester, which is designed to simulate the effects of a horse landing on a man-made surface. Using the biomechanical hoof tester, which was built with the assistance of the University of Maine, and a range of other equipment, the team collected a number of mechanical and physical measurements to determine the properties of the surfaces, looking particularly at the force of impact, loading rate, hardness and moisture content.



Alison Northrop, Lecturer in Animal Behaviour and Equine Studies at Anglia Ruskin, said

"The development of the first UK-based biomechanical hoof tester is a fantastic asset for our research team. RACES can now conduct a range of tests that allow us to understand much more about arena construction in addition to surface measurements."

Dr Jaime Martin of Myerscough College, a Lead Researcher in Animal Science, said:

"This has been a massive team effort and everyone involved has contributed to improve our understanding of the interaction between the hoof and the surface. The research has proved to be an extremely topical area, particularly within current scientific literature."

Bookmark this page with: